New projects in development with Ffilm Cymru Wales

Ffilm Cymru Wales has invested National Lottery funding in the development of three new feature films from Welsh talent.

The development agency for film in Wales has awarded funding to Gone, an adaptation of Min Kym’s major literary memoir of love, loss, and redemption. Led by an all-woman team of Welsh producer Elwen Rowlands (The Last Post) from Bonafide, director Aisling Walsh (A Poet in New York) and writer Olivia Hetreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring), Gone tells the true story of how musical prodigy Min Kym’s world collapsed after her priceless Stradivarius violin was stolen. Following a three-year journey shrouded in mystery, the violin was dramatically recovered, yet the story was far from over.

An award was made to another literary adaptation, The Killing of Butterfly Joe (pictured). Welsh writer Rhidian Brook, whose previous novel ‘Aftermath’ was made into a forthcoming film starring Keira Knightley and Alexander Skarsgård, will adapt his own novel for the screen. This cinematic thriller will follow writer Llew Jones as he embarks on an American adventure, where he meets charismatic butterfly salesman Joe Bosco, who steers their existential road-trip out of control.

Ffilm Cymru also invested development funding in period boxing thriller Prizefighter, from Welsh writer Matt Hookings. At the turn of the 19th century, a gifted young boxer fights his way to becoming champion of a bourgeoning new sport. Prizefighter will be produced by Richard Holmes (The Ritual) and directed by Amit Gupta, whose previous film Resistance, starring Andrea Riseborough and Michael Sheen, was supported by Ffilm Cymru, and earned three BAFTA Cymru nominations.

In addition to these new funding awards, Ffilm Cymru provided additional support to three projects already on the organisation’s diverse development slate, including Welsh-Egyptian director Sally El Hosaini’s (My Brother the Devil) next UK set feature, The Boy, a psychological sci-fi horror produced by Camilla Bray (Beats) and written by John Donnelly (Utopia).

Inspiring cycling drama The Breakaway follows the true story of Swansea-born cyclist Nicole Cooke’s journey to winning an Olympic gold medal. This cinematic adaptation of Cooke’s autobiography will be written by Phillip Ralf, and produced by Andrew Eaton (Rush, The Crown) and Hinterland creator Ed Talfan (Hidden, Denmark).

Ffilm Cymru also awarded additional funding to Mae Gen i Gariad, a Welsh-language drama examining the unconventional love story of 60s pop duo Tony and Aloma. The Executive Producer is Gethin Scourfield (Hinterland, Hidden, The Miniaturist), and the project is produced by Cwmni Da’s Angharad Elen (Titsh, Gwen) and written by celebrated Welsh writer, director and actor Meic Povey (The Life of Ryan... and Ronnie, Byw Celwydd), who sadly passed away in December 2017.